Unlikely Angel
by SouthernChickie
Summary: Now Complete! Tessa's parents come to visit for the holidays and with a simple trip to the mall Richie teaches them all the true meaning of Christmas.
1. Default Chapter

AN: Slightly AU. I hope you like. And as always I don't own these guys. If I did. well, things would have played out a lot different.  
  
Unlikely Angel  
  
Richie stood under Tessa's scrutinizing stare.  
  
"Do I pass?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"You pass," she said finally.  
  
"Well, it's about damn time," he mumbled, starting to walk away.  
  
Tessa stopped him with a firm hand on his arm. "Did you get what you need out of your room?"  
  
"Yup, and it's all in your room."  
  
"No unacceptable."  
  
"No porn," he promptly answered.  
  
Tessa smiled despite herself. "Alright. You go help Duncan with dinner while I go to the airport.  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"Ugh." Richie pulled at the collar of his grey, wool-knit sweater.  
  
"Hot?" Duncan asked.  
  
"And itchy. Now I know why this was in the back of my closet."  
  
"Tessa shot down everything else?"  
  
"I don't know why she's so worried. I thought her parents were supposed to be cool?"  
  
"But she's still nervous. This is the first time they've come to visit us. And the first time they've met you. She wants to make a good impression."  
  
"Maybe I should bunk somewhere else," Richie offered in jest.  
  
"Just be yourself. They'll love you. You're Jean's kind of boy."  
  
"That's what they said on the phone."  
  
"Before or after they insisted you call them Maman and Papa?"  
  
"Before, I think. But, Mac, if I'm supposed to be myself why am I dressed in this get up?"  
  
Duncan chucked and tossed some flour onto Richie's sweater. "Oops, guess you have to change now."  
  
Richie grinned. "I like the way you think. Thanks, Mac."  
  
"Just pick something nice."  
  
"Sure."  
  
The phone rang and Richie yelled from the bedrooms that he'd get it. A few minutes later, he came out in an old sweatshirt.  
  
"This is your idea of something nice?"  
  
"No. That was Angie. They're locked out of their car and all their luggage is in it. So I'm gonna go let them in so they can catch their plane."  
  
"Something tells me you don't have a spare key."  
  
"Of sorts," he shrugged. "Back as soon as I can be."  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the door to the apartment opened.  
  
"You made good time. Take the bread out of the oven and change," Duncan said.  
  
"Why doesn't Richie do it?" Tessa asked.  
  
"You're back." Duncan striated up and smiled. "Jean, Genevieve." He took Tessa's father's hand and gave her mother a hug. "Richie had a last minute errand to run. He should be back soon," he added.  
  
. . . . . .  
  
Richie could tell he had taken too long, despite his best efforts, when he saw Tessa's car in the alley. He checked his hair in the side view mirror before going in.  
  
"Bonjour!" he called as he entered. Genevieve jumped to her feet and rushed to him.  
  
"Chou chou!" She grabbed his face and started planting kisses all over it. "Mon, petit!" Kiss, kiss. "Mon seul petit-fils." Smooch, smooch. "Enfin." Smooch, kiss. She stopped kissing but kept a firm grip on his cheeks. "Tessa, il est adorable!"  
  
"Maman, let him go. You're scaring him," Tessa giggled. "And he's a little old to be called 'chou chou', don't you think?"  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Richie," Jean said taking Richie's hand.  
  
"Beenvan ah America. Ju sui sour ku vu appreh-ceerez vorte sehjur," Richie rattled off proudly. Everyone started laughing. Richie's face fell and he looked at Duncan. "Didn't I say it right?" he asked like a little kid who was getting made fun of for something he had no control over.  
  
Duncan schooled his features into a reassuring and accepting smile. "We understood what you meant."  
  
"Then why are you all laughing?"  
  
"We just weren't expecting it," he told him. "It was a very noble attempt. Now go change; dinner's almost ready." Once he was safely out of earshot Duncan turned to the others. "New rule. No laughing when Richie tries to speak French."  
  
"You laughed, too," Tessa pointed out.  
  
"I know. But I don't know how much ridicule his ego can take. We need to choose our battles."  
  
Soon they were all seated at the table eating homemade ravioli and garlic bread.  
  
"Richie, where were you?" Tessa asked conversationally when silence settled over the table.  
  
"Um.helping the Burkes," he answered.  
  
"That was nice of you. With what?"  
  
Richie grinned at Duncan over his glass of wine (that Jean had poured for him despite Duncan's objections). "Car trouble."  
  
"Richie is quite the mechanic, you know," Tessa told her parents proudly. "He can fix nearly anything. Just last week he fixed the toaster. And last month he installed a new security system."  
  
Richie blushed. "I really just helped Mac."  
  
"Tessa, you're embarrassing him," Genevieve giggled. "You're making his cheeks burn."  
  
Silence once again fell over the table. "Duncan, how is business?" Jean asked.  
  
"Scared that I'm not taking care of your little girl?"  
  
"I have my concerns."  
  
"Papa!"  
  
"Everything is going fine, Jean. This has actually been our best year."  
  
"That's not saying much," Richie snorted into his salad.  
  
"Thanks, Rich."  
  
"Richie, behave yourself," Tessa scolded lightly.  
  
"I thought you wanted me to be myself. You can't have it both ways. You gotta pick."  
  
"Be yourself, chou chou," Genevieve told him, reaching across the table and putting her hand on his arm. "Tessa, stop being so hard on the boy."  
  
"Maman, I was only teasing him."  
  
"She's always raggin' on me. It was just a joke." Richie jumped to her defense.  
  
"You'll get used to them," Duncan added. "They're always going at it. Your daughter finally met her match in him."  
  
"This I have to see," Jean smiled. "My Tessa without the upper hand."  
  
"Someone's gotta keep her in her place," Richie boasted proudly.  
  
"And we all know you are more than happy to be the one to do that."  
  
Richie rolled his eyes at Duncan and they settled into a comfortable silence. Not until they settled in the living room for dessert did anyone speak again.  
  
"Chou chou, how old are you?" Genevieve asked. "Chou chou?"  
  
"Rich," Duncan prompted when the boy didn't answer.  
  
"Oh, is that me?" He looked up from his pie.  
  
"Yes. She asked how old you are."  
  
"I'm 18."  
  
"That's what I thought Tessa said," Genevieve said with a nod. "And when did you graduate?"  
  
"Last June."  
  
"That's good; we've only just missed it."  
  
"Well, why don't we get started decorating the tree?" Tessa interjected when she noticed Richie start to squirm from all the attention.  
  
Duncan and Richie had gone to pick out a tree the day before. They found a large spruce that was so big they had to rearrange the living room to make it fit. While they were busy, Tessa went around town getting decorations and stockings. She and Duncan had always spent Christmas at her parent's house in Paris so had never bothered to get decorations for the loft.  
  
Richie had happily put the stockings up that night, fussing over them until he finally got them in the perfect order. His was in the middle framed by Tessa's and Genevieve's and Duncan's and Jean's were placed, in turn, on either side.  
  
Tessa and Genevieve took charge of decorating the tree. They sat Richie on the floor unwrapping the ornaments and handing them to Duncan and Jean while the women directed their placements. "Up, to the left. The lights are crooked. No, not there. Down, down, up, little more. little. there. Now move that one up a branch. Yes, right there." Once the ornaments and lights were placed, Jean, being the "oldest" of the family gathered, had the honor of putting the angel on top.  
  
Everyone stepped back to admire their festive creation. After they had properly oohed and ahhed they set to work putting out the nativity set. Richie, being the youngest in attendance, was given the job of putting out the baby Jesus when they got back from midnight mass the next week. After that they separated to hang wreaths, place candles, wrap garland, and finish decorating. Once they were done, Richie was sent to shower and change in Duncan and Tessa's room while Jean and Genevieve got settled in his room.  
  
Duncan was waiting for Richie when he went out to take his place on the couch.  
  
"What do you think?" he asked.  
  
"Looks real classy." Richie vaulted over the back of the couch.  
  
"I meant Tessa's parents."  
  
"They're friendly," he offered.  
  
"Friendly?"  
  
"Very friendly?"  
  
"Very friendly."  
  
"Okay, so Tessa's mom is really really really friendly. But her dad is pretty cool."  
  
"Genevieve is quite an enthusiastic woman. You'll get used to her."  
  
"Good. uh. is that all you wanted?"  
  
"Well, that and tomorrow while we go shopping, don't let her enthusiasm go to your head. Modesty is a virtue."  
  
"Do you have to be so cryptic so late at night?"  
  
"Just remember what I said."  
  
"I'll put it on a billboard."  
  
"Good night, Richie."  
  
"Night."  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"Should we wake him?" Tessa asked, looking over the shoulder at the dead teenager on the couch who had slept through morning greetings and the event of making breakfast.  
  
"He has to eat," Duncan shrugged.  
  
A minute later, Richie was with everyone else at the table grateful Tessa insisted he slept in something other than his boxers as usual. Though he was just wearing a pair of Duncan's flannel pants and one of his own baseball jerseys, it felt much more appropriate than his underwear. After the dishes were cleaned and put away and Richie got dressed, they got into two cars and headed for a group expedition to the mall. Tessa and Genevieve insisted that with five shoppers, two trunks and an extra backseat were necessary.  
  
Once in the mall they made arrangements for when and where to meet and split off into little groups. Richie found himself being drug from JC Penny to Foleys to Old Navy and then Structure by a very enthusiastic Genevieve. It took both of them to lug all the bags out to Tessa's car.  
  
An hour later, Jean found Richie lusting over everything he could see in the electronics store.  
  
"Needed a testosterone fix?" Jean asked, startling Richie who was playing a sample computer game.  
  
"Came to see if my stereo is on sale. It's not."  
  
"How much is it?"  
  
"Four hundred dollars."  
  
"Is it made of gold?"  
  
"Might as well be. Three CD changer, internal antenna for the am/fm radio, duel cassette player, detachable speakers, ports for surround sound and a remote. Tell me that's not worth four hundred dollars."  
  
"It sounds very impressive."  
  
"It is. I've been saving for months. I was hoping to catch a Christmas sale. But believe you me, I'm gonna get it."  
  
Jean smiled and put his arm around Richie's shoulders. "Show Papa your fancy record player."  
  
"CD player," he corrected.  
  
Richie and Jean bonded over gadgets and gizmos. Their common interest dominated the conversation as they bought lunch in the food court and wondered the mall making purchases here and there. At five, they all met by the coke machines at the entrance they came in through. All were still laden with bags despite all their trips to the cars during the day. Richie had to ride home in Tessa's car because his presents were in the backseat of Duncan's car. On the way home, Tessa made him promise not to go in certain closets because that was the only space they had to hide his gifts in. Richie pointed out that he didn't go in his room since Jean and Genevieve were staying there and thusly they had plenty of room to hide things. But he promised not to go in the closets until told the coast was clear.  
  
For dinner, it was decided that they would go to Tessa's favorite restaurant. Richie was once again forced into nice clothes that he continually avoided. But Richie admitted that the promise of lobster made it worth it. When the bill came, Jean and Duncan both reached for it.  
  
"Allow me," Jean insisted.  
  
"You're our guests," Duncan argued.  
  
"I want to treat my daughter and her family to dinner."  
  
"You don't have to do that. You're on vacation."  
  
"But."  
  
"That's your argument for when we come to visit you."  
  
"I will not hear of it."  
  
"I got it!" Richie interrupted snatching the leather bill folder before either man could protest. He opened it up to see the total of 254 dollars not including tip. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Richie!" Tessa snapped, giving him a solid whack in the shoulder.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized. "But man."  
  
"Tessa, don't hit him," Genevieve ordered. "But chou chou, mind your language."  
  
"I didn't mean to. It slipped out." He pulled the credit card Duncan had given him a month before out of his wallet and slid it into the pocket. When the bill came back Richie nearly had a heart attack when Tessa whispered to him to add a seventy-dollar tip. But he did it none the less, signed, and they went back home.  
  
When they got to the store Jean held Duncan back to speak with him.  
  
"What did Papa want?" Tessa asked when he joined her in their room.  
  
"It's about Richie," Duncan mouthed. Richie was changing in the bathroom. Once Richie had gone off to bed, Duncan explained. "Your parents want to buy Richie that stereo he's been saving for."  
  
"You sound disappointed."  
  
"Is it wrong to ask them not to buy it?"  
  
"Why? Richie would love it."  
  
"It ruins the lesson."  
  
"What lesson?"  
  
"That he has to work for what he wants."  
  
"We buy him things all the time." Tessa didn't understand.  
  
"We buy him things he needs. He has to buy what he wants."  
  
"Duncan, it's Christmas."  
  
"I know that. And I have every intention of buying him everything on his list. That stereo isn't on the list."  
  
"Neither is that Star Wars movie set you bought him today," she pointed out. "But you know he likes it so you got it for him. He would love to get the stereo."  
  
"But he's been working for it. I know he'd have a heart attack when he opened it, but at the same time it ruins all he's worked for. And what does that teach him? Work really hard and you will get what you want handed to you?"  
  
"He's a child. He set a goal and worked toward it. Shouldn't that be rewarded?"  
  
"The reward is that he gets the stereo when he's done. I know it seems heartless, but it will be better for him to earn it on his own. And he's not expecting it; he's not even hoping for it so he won't be disappointed."  
  
"That's true," Tessa consented. "He'll have plenty of surprises under the tree. Tell Papa no. Richie's getting spoiled enough as it is."  
  
"We don't want him to get selfish."  
  
"No, we don't."  
  
"I'll go talk to him."  
  
"Maybe I should," Tessa offered.  
  
"I'll do it."  
  
Jean was waiting for Duncan in the living room. He and Richie were chatting about computers and the internet.  
  
"They have internet at Mr. Burke's work. Sometimes Angie and I go over and mess around. It is so cool. E-mail, game sites, you can find information on anything."  
  
"The internet is an entertaining place to go. When I first got a modem, I could sit in my office for hours."  
  
"You surf the net?"  
  
"It's part of my job. My company manufactures computers, modems and other electronics."  
  
"I didn't know that."  
  
"We do. It is an ever-changing field. It's hard to be bored."  
  
"That is so cool. I've never known anyone who did that before."  
  
"Richie, will you excuse us for a minute?" Duncan asked from the hallway.  
  
"Um." Richie searched for a place to go. Genevieve was in his room, Tessa in hers, Duncan and Jean in the living room. All that was left was the kitchen. "I'll get some water."  
  
"I assume you're going to say no," Jean said in French.  
  
"Tessa and I would prefer that Richie finish earning the money himself."  
  
"Would you object to me giving him money towards it?"  
  
Duncan paused. "I really would rather he earned it somehow. He's had it pretty cushy here and we're afraid he's getting used to things being given to him just because he wants them. We've been trying to teach him the importance of working and earning the money to get things for himself; not to expect things to show up in his room."  
  
Jean nodded. "He's your responsibility; I have to respect that. If you would rather I didn't, I won't."  
  
"Thank you, Jean."  
  
"Can I come in now?" Richie called from the kitchen. "I'm getting bored and I have to go!"  
  
"Come on in, Rich," Duncan called first in French then corrected himself in English.  
  
"Hey, can I ask something?" Richie asked after he had taken care of his needs.  
  
"Or course," Jean answered.  
  
"What does choo choo mean and why does Tessa keep saying I'm too old to be called that?"  
  
"It's what little kids call trains," Duncan answered.  
  
"Chou chou is a nickname used for young children in France," Jean explained. "Someone as old as you would never be called Chou chou. except Maman calls all her grandchildren Chou chou and Tessa and her brothers always correct her."  
  
"Ah." Richie nodded. "Does it mean anything or is it just one of those things?"  
  
"Technically." Duncan started. "It means little cabbage. or Brussel sprout."  
  
Richie wrinkled his nose. "Yup.definitely gotta bring a stop to that one." 


	2. ch 2

The next morning, Tessa and Genevieve went out on a girl's day out. That left the men and Richie, as Duncan put it, to their own devices until dinner. They spent the morning wrapping presents for Genevieve and Tessa or rather Richie spent the morning wrapping presents for Genevieve and Tessa. Jean offered him five dollars a present, which he gladly accepted. Duncan saw what Jean was doing and took his lead offering to pay Richie to wrap presents for him, too. That afternoon they went back to the mall where Richie spent his wrapping money on a hand carved tobacco pipe for Jean. He had it wrapped at the store which ate up the little money he had left after buying the pipe.  
  
That afternoon, they took up time by giving Jean a tour of the city. They drove all over from the beach to the stadium, from the docks to the park, from the little league fields to historic down town Seacouver. By the time they got back to the store, they had just enough time to change and meet Tessa and Genevieve for dinner.  
  
"Hey, Mac?" Richie ventured as they got ready for dinner in his room.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Um.I know how you and Tess wanted me to stick around while her folks are in town.but I kinda got somewhere to go Saturday night. So, is that okay?"  
  
"I'm sure it'd be fine. Have fun."  
  
"Thanks, Mac."  
  
"Whose party is it and when will you be home?" Duncan asked handing Richie his shirt.  
  
"It's not a party but I'll be home by ten."  
  
"Not a party? Where are you going?"  
  
"It's kinda a tradition with me. No big deal."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"The orphanage Christmas pageant."  
  
Duncan smiled as he sat down to tie his shoes. "Is it exclusive?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"We've been running out of ways to entertain Jean and Genevieve. What's it like?"  
  
Richie blushed. "It's nothing special. Just a bunch of kids singing songs and looking cute. I just promised some people I'd be there and I would have told you earlier but I swear I just remembered. So you mind?"  
  
"Richie, it's not a problem. When we told you we wanted you to stay around, we just meant that we wanted you to spend some time with Tessa's parents. The question is not if you can go, but if you mind if we tag along?"  
  
"Well."  
  
"You can say no. If you want some time away that's fine."  
  
"I don't see why you shouldn't come.just I may disappear. A lot of my friends are still there and I haven't seen them since I moved."  
  
"That's fine, Rich. It's Christmas; you should see your friends. We may go; we may not. But you go and have fun."  
  
"Cool, thanks, Mac."  
  
The men (and Richie) got to the restaurant a few minutes before Tessa and her mother did.  
  
"Richie?" Tessa asked after they had ordered.  
  
"Yeah?" Richie could already tell that he wasn't going to like what was coming.  
  
"Maman and I were wondering.how old were you when you found out about Santa Claus?"  
  
"What?" Richie laughed. That wasn't what he was expecting.  
  
"We were talking about when I was younger and we got curious. How old were you?"  
  
"Ready for a laugh? I was twelve."  
  
"Twelve?" Duncan repeated.  
  
"Yeah, twelve, okay? I was a believer until I was twelve."  
  
"That's so adorable, chou chou," Genevieve cooed.  
  
"How'd you find out?" Duncan asked.  
  
"How did you?"  
  
"My parents never told me about Santa," he answered. "I didn't hear about him until I was too old to believe anyway."  
  
Richie's jaw dropped at that. "What kind of a childhood doesn't include Santa Claus?"  
  
"Mine. You never answered the question; how did you find out?"  
  
"My foster parents told me."  
  
"Just like that?"  
  
"Well, they had me play elf and help them put together my foster brother's bike. It wasn't so bad. It was actually a really good Christmas that year."  
  
"So you weren't scared for life?"  
  
"Obviously not."  
  
"That's very cute, Richie," Tessa said.  
  
"That's what happened with a lot of my friends," he shrugged. "I guess it's easier when you become part of the secret."  
  
Their salads came and Richie welcomed the distraction. It had only been two days and he had already spent too much time in the spotlight. Duncan had warned him that it may happen, but Richie hadn't had this in mind. He had expected some nosey questions and potential embarrassing stories but Genevieve's enthusiasm was a little more than he could handle. She was nice and very affectionate, but it was just way too much for Richie's taste. Tessa fussed over him occasionally, but the continual attention wasn't what he was used to.  
  
"Hey, Rich, what made that Christmas so good?" Duncan asked suddenly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You said the Christmas you found out about Santa was really good. What made it so great?"  
  
Richie shrugged. "Good presents."  
  
"What did you get?" Tessa asked.  
  
He blushed. "I got an engine."  
  
"You can't leave it at that," Jean teased. "An engine?"  
  
With a deep sigh, Richie dove into his story. "My foster dad owned that garage that used to be on Baltimore and twenty-eighth. I helped him every weekend; that's how I got started in mechanics. So for Christmas, he made me this toy engine that once you put it together right and pushed this button it would light up and the belt would start rotating and the fan would go. I loved that thing. It took him a month to teach me how to put it together."  
  
"A month? Who would have thought it took you more than twenty minutes?" Duncan teased.  
  
"We did one part a day and he made me memorize how it all works and why it works at the same time."  
  
"Sounds a little harsh for a twelve year old."  
  
"I loved it," Richie defended. "And I guarded that thing with my life for six years and I almost couldn't give it up."  
  
"Why did you get rid of it?" Tessa asked. "If you loved it so much, why don't you still have it?"  
  
"I gave it to Michael."  
  
"Who's that?" Jean asked.  
  
"My little brother.well, practically my little brother.just a kid at the orphanage." Once again the attention was getting to him and Duncan came to the rescue.  
  
"Speaking of the orphanage," Duncan rescued. "They're holding a pageant on Saturday. It's a fundraiser to buy gifts for the children."  
  
"Actually.it's a fundraiser for other stuff," Richie interrupted. "The presents are already bought by then."  
  
"Oh. Well, it's a fundraiser and I was thinking it might be fun to go."  
  
"Richie, is it being held where you grew up?" Tessa asked.  
  
Richie squirmed. "Yeah. I used to get forced to be in it all the time."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"Just little songs and stuff. Nothing special."  
  
"What songs?"  
  
"Christmas songs."  
  
"Which ones?"  
  
"Different ones."  
  
"Do you think.?"  
  
"I gotta go to the bathroom," Richie mumbled as he got up and left.  
  
Duncan looked at Tessa and smiled. "I think you made him mad."  
  
"I didn't mean to. I was just curious."  
  
"I think we should come up with new topics."  
  
They discussed their plans for Christmas until they started to wonder about Richie. Jean went to find him. Richie was loitering outside the bathrooms next to the phones.  
  
"Papa," Richie looked up from the point he was staring at on the floor.  
  
"What's wrong, Richie?" Jean asked.  
  
"Nothin'."  
  
"Then why are you hiding?"  
  
"I was stretching.my legs. Charlie horse."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Is it gone?"  
  
"Uh, yeah.feeling good."  
  
"Okay. Then we should get back before the food beats us." He held out an arm and waited for Richie to walk into position so his arm was around his shoulders. "And we can talk to your Maman about calling you chou chou."  
  
"Okay."  
  
By the end of the meal, Richie and Jean had plans to go the mall the next day for some more shopping in the morning and that afternoon, they would all go ice-skating (Richie's suggestion). Jean and Genevieve rode home with Tessa leaving Richie to go with Duncan.  
  
"Hey, Mac?" Richie asked at a stoplight not far from the store.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Can I ask you a favor?"  
  
"You can ask."  
  
"Can I get an advance on my pay?"  
  
Duncan set his face to neutral. "Why?"  
  
"I still have some presents to get and I'm low on cash."  
  
"What happened to the money I already gave you?"  
  
"I spent it."  
  
"Already?"  
  
"I have a lot of people to buy presents for."  
  
"And that's why I saw you buying a hundred dollar pipe at the mall?"  
  
"That's for Papa!"  
  
"And how expensive is the tea tray you bought Genevieve?"  
  
"I just wanted to get the something nice."  
  
"Richie, it doesn't matter how much you spend. They're not expecting anything fancy from you."  
  
"Mac, I just have a few more gifts to buy, okay?"  
  
"Richie, you have to learn how to budget. No."  
  
"But, Mac! I'm gonna pay you back every penny."  
  
"Rich, if you need the money, you can return things you've already bought and get people less expensive gifts."  
  
"What would you say if I told you I can't return what I've gotten?"  
  
"I told you to keep your receipts."  
  
"I did. I kept the receipt from the tray and I kept the receipt from the engraver."  
  
As much as Duncan wanted to help, he felt hypocritical giving Richie the money after telling Jean that he wanted him to work for any money he got from them. "Maybe you can wrap more presents," he suggested.  
  
"I guess.but it's not going to be enough, Mac. I need more than thirty dollars. Can't I wax the floor, or clean the attic, or organize the store room?"  
  
"If it's that important take it out of your stereo money."  
  
"Mac, I've been saving for months!"  
  
"Then you can save for a few more months."  
  
"Fine. Then you have to take me to the bank."  
  
"You can stop on your way to the mall."  
  
"Can I at least borrow your car?"  
  
"That I can do for you."  
  
"Gee.thanks."  
  
Duncan sighed as he put the car in park behind Tessa's. "Richie, I'm not trying to be mean to you. I'm trying to teach you something."  
  
"Can't you teach me later, Mac?"  
  
"You have to learn sometime. Now's as good a time as ever."  
  
Richie pouted as he got out of the car. "Fine. I'll just start all over."  
  
"It happens, Rich."  
  
"What would you know? You've got, like, a billion dollars."  
  
"Because I saved and budgeted and went without."  
  
"I'm sure," he groused.  
  
"Fine, Richie, be a brat."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Richie, you're acting like a child. Things will be hard for you sometimes once you're out on your own. Right now, you have no bills to pay except your insurance. You've had plenty of time to save your money for buying presents. Don't whine."  
  
"I can't believe you just said that to me!"  
  
"If you're going to act like a child, I'm going to treat you like one."  
  
"I wasn't acting like a child! I agreed with you."  
  
"And then you started slamming doors and stomping around," Duncan explained calmly.  
  
"I didn't slam the door and I've barely walked three feet."  
  
Duncan took a deep breath. "I think we're both just tired. Why don't we just call it a night and get some rest."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"And, Rich?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Let's just forget this ever happened."  
  
"So I'm getting the advance?"  
  
"No. But we didn't fight about it."  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"You ready, Papa?" Richie asked after they cleaned up the breakfast dishes.  
  
"Whenever you are ready we can go," Jean told him.  
  
"Cool, I'll get my coat."  
  
A few minutes later, they were in the drive though for the bank. Richie took out three hundred dollars.  
  
"Why so much money?" Jean asked.  
  
"I have a lot of gifts to buy."  
  
"For who?"  
  
"Some kids I know."  
  
"What are you going to get them?"  
  
"I don't know yet."  
  
"You have no ideas?"  
  
"I'll find out what they want in the mall."  
  
Once they got to the mall, Richie made a beeline to a small tree set up near the food court. Instead of ornaments, there were pieces of paper hung on paper clips to decorate the tree. Richie looked around the tree and picked ten pieces of paper.  
  
"What are those?" Jean asked.  
  
"Friends of mine."  
  
"I don't follow you."  
  
"Here." Richie gave him the papers he had picked. "This tree is for the orphanage I grew up in. Every year, they ask the kids what they want. Then they write it down and put the paper on this tree. Then people pick the kid they want to buy presents for, buy what's on the list and then bring the gifts here. That way, on Christmas morning all the kids get what they asked for."  
  
"Richie.you say this is where you grew up?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You used to get presents this way?"  
  
"For thirteen years," Richie said, without a hint of shame.  
  
"So now you are buying gifts for the children still there?"  
  
"I've been buying gifts for a couple years, but this year I can afford more."  
  
"That is why you took out so much money?"  
  
"Yeah. I asked Ma. Yeah."  
  
"You asked who what?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Tell, your Papa. There is something on your mind."  
  
"Nothing, really."  
  
"Does it have anything to do with why you and Duncan were so standoffish last night?"  
  
"It's no big deal. Come on, we got lots of ground to cover."  
  
"Tell me, it will make you feel better."  
  
"There's nothing to feel better about," Richie shrugged as he started walking to the toy store. "He's just big on teaching me lessons right now. I don't know why. I mean, obviously I can budget if I saved up this much for the stereo." He held up his wad of bills.  
  
"This is your stereo money?"  
  
"That's what Mac and I got into it about. I asked for an advance and he told me no; if I wanted to buy more presents I should take it out of my savings."  
  
"That's very generous of you. Let's go get." he looked at the papers still in his hand. "A Ninja turtle action figure."  
  
Richie got everything for the kids he chose and got the presents back to the tree before they left. They met Tessa, Duncan and Genevieve at the frozen pond in the park. Everyone went to rent some skates, taking ten minutes to convince Genevieve, and Richie sat on a bench to lace up the ones that he owned. Then they all got out on the ice. Richie shot off at top speed while Tessa and Duncan took their time with Jean and Genevieve.  
  
"Come on, Tess," Richie encouraged darting in circles around her. "Stop hanging with the old people. Get out here where you belong."  
  
"Richie, I'm not very good."  
  
"Because you putz around the edge the whole time. You gotta get out on the good ice."  
  
"That's okay, Richie, I'm just fine where I am."  
  
"Maman?" Richie offered her hand. "You're braver than, Tess. You come."  
  
"Fine!" Tessa took the bait. "I'll go." She took his hand and he took her out on the ice. He skated in front of her backwards and led her by both hands. He started out slowly, but soon had her screaming and laughing as she held on for dear life.  
  
"Richie, slow down!" Duncan yelled as they zoomed past.  
  
Finally Richie brought Tessa to a gentle stop beside everyone else.  
  
She was laughing and panting as she tried to yell at him. "Don't you ever.."  
  
"Come on, you had fun."  
  
"Richard Ryan!"  
  
He grinned at her. "Who's next?"  
  
"I'll race you," Duncan offered, Richie's enthusiasm rubbing off on him.  
  
"Okay, where to where?"  
  
"From here around the rink and back stay on the outside."  
  
"Cool. Someone judge."  
  
"We all will," Genevieve offered. "So it will be fair."  
  
"Sounds good," Duncan nodded. "Someone say go."  
  
"GO!" Tessa chirped and the two shot down the ice.  
  
Duncan was in the lead with Richie right on his heels. It looked like Duncan was going to win until they gained on a group of kids. Duncan slowed down to get around them, but Richie darted right though the middle at top speed. To everyone's surprise, not a single child was knocked down. Duncan started to catch up with him, but Richie had too much momentum built up and beat him by a little over a second. He had to stop so abruptly that he showered Tessa and her parents in ice shavings.  
  
"Where did you learn to skate like that?" Duncan asked as he brushed ice off Tessa's jacket.  
  
"Hockey," Richie answered, skating around the small group. "Is anyone else freezing?"  
  
"Yes," Jean said. "Why don't you all get ready to go and I'll get us some hot chocolate."  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me." Richie made his way off the ice and sat down to take off his skates.  
  
Jean recruited Duncan to help him carry the hot chocolate. "You have a very selfless boy," he told him as they stood in line.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Richie spent three hundred dollars today."  
  
Duncan sighed and rolled his eyes. "On what?"  
  
"Five please. On gifts for orphans."  
  
"What?"  
  
"He wanted that money to buy gifts for some of the kids he left behind."  
  
Suddenly Duncan felt very bad for yelling at Richie the night before. 


	3. ch 3

AN: Hey thanks for all the reviews. And just so you know I've decided that the ep 'Family Tree' never happened. Why? Because I'm the author and I can do that! *grin* That said. On to the story and please review!!!  
  
"Richie?" Tessa knocked on the door to her bedroom where Richie was getting dressed for bed.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
She went in. "May I ask you something personal?"  
  
"Do I have to answer?"  
  
"Not if you don't want to."  
  
"Then shoot."  
  
"Who is Michael?"  
  
"Where are Maman and Papa?"  
  
"In the kitchen with Duncan."  
  
"I can show you a picture." He led her into his room and dug through a desk drawer for a second before pulling out a photograph. "This is him and me on his birthday last year." He handed it to her.  
  
Smiling at the camera was Richie with his arms around a boy who was just a younger version of him. Both were wet and shirtless; you could see a bit of a swimming pool in the background.  
  
"You didn't tell us you had a brother," Tessa reminded him quietly.  
  
"That's because I don't."  
  
"But you said he was your little brother."  
  
"I just call him that sometimes. I mean look at him. He even talks just like me. If I didn't know better, I would swear he was."  
  
"Are you sure he isn't? The resemblance is amazing."  
  
"He's ten years younger than me."  
  
"My oldest brother is twelve years older than me."  
  
"My mom died when I was five. So unless dead women can get pregnant, he's not my brother."  
  
"Maybe a cousin? Do you have any aunts or uncles?"  
  
"Since no one came for me when my mom died, I'm guessing no."  
  
"I'm sorry," Tessa said softly. "I shouldn't be asking you this."  
  
"It's no big," Richie said with a slight shrug.  
  
"Richie." She handed him the picture back. "Will he be there Saturday?"  
  
"Probably.but I'm not sure. You never know."  
  
"If he is I would love to meet him."  
  
"I'd like for you to meet him, too. I mean, you wanna know me when I was eight? Spend two minutes with him."  
  
"Is he really that much like you?"  
  
"According to everyone who's ever taken care of both us. You know, of the things I miss about my old life.he's the biggest."  
  
"You really miss him?"  
  
Richie paused for a minute. "Yeah. If I was old enough I'd adopt him. Hell, I'll probably be able to in a few years."  
  
"You don't think he'll be adopted?" Tessa asked.  
  
"I guess he could.but really he's too old now. I was too old when I got there, to tell the truth. I mean, people only want babies. Once you learn to walk, you're pretty much done for. And potty trained? Well. once you can talk coherently you're screwed. Junior high? Forget it. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I'm just rambling. I better get out of here so everyone else can get to bed. You guys have that ballet thing tomorrow and everything." He got up and put the picture back in the drawer. "Night, Tess."  
  
"Good night, Richie. And Richie?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"If you ever want to ramble to someone again, I'm always here for you."  
  
"Thanks, Tess."  
  
As they settled into bed, Tessa told Duncan what Richie had told her. And then he told her what Jean had told him.  
  
"I think we've been misjudging him," Duncan admitted.  
  
"Me, too. Here we thought he was this selfish, hardhearted street rat. And he's a sensitive, giving child."  
  
"I feel like a real heel for yelling at him yesterday."  
  
"You didn't know what he was asking for."  
  
"I could have asked him."  
  
"The only reason Papa knows what he was doing was because he was there. Richie obviously had no intention of telling us what he was up to."  
  
"Maybe he was worried we'd be mad at him for spending so much. I did get onto him about how much he was spending on people."  
  
"You think you scared him into secrecy?" Tessa smiled.  
  
"I never know what to do with him," Duncan admitted. "Every time I think I have him figured out, he goes and surprises me."  
  
"We've only known him a few months; you can't expect to know him perfectly."  
  
"I just feel like I should."  
  
"I know it feels like he's been here all along, but he hasn't. He's still finding out about us and we're finding out about him."  
  
"I.it's the important things. This is the first we've heard about his baby brother of his. Or his mom. Or anything."  
  
"Michael is not his brother," Tessa pointed out.  
  
"But Richie considers him his brother."  
  
"Duncan, I think you're getting too concerned about this. He's opening up now and we should encourage it. Just give him some more time. Besides with Maman there will be plenty of questions for him to answer."  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Duncan asked Richie as he helped Tessa into her coat.  
  
"Hum.let me think, spend a night watching girls that I have no chance with dancing around to bad music pretending to be mice or order a pizza and a couple movies. I think I'll pass."  
  
"You have no culture in your life."  
  
"Indiana Jones is cultural. He travels all over the world."  
  
Duncan smiled. "One of these days I'm going to get you to the ballet."  
  
"Then you'd better hope I'm like you," Richie said in a low voice. "Because it will take a few hundred years."  
  
"Then I'd better get started."  
  
Richie was dead asleep on the couch with the television still going when they got back from the ballet. Genevieve tucked him in a little tighter. Despite her gentleness, he woke up.  
  
"Maman?"  
  
"Shh, mon brave, go to sleep."  
  
"How was the ballet?"  
  
"Very nice, Rich," Duncan whispered pushing him gently back down into a laying position. "Go back to sleep."  
  
"Kay," he settled back down and closed his eyes.  
  
. . . . . .  
  
Duncan got ready for his morning run as quietly as he could. Tessa slept through his preparations. Richie, on the other hand, woke up as soon as he turned on the light in the kitchen.  
  
"Hey, Mac?"  
  
"Oh, god, Rich!" Duncan jumped. "You scared me."  
  
"Sorry." Richie jumped up on the counter.  
  
"Since when do you wake up before noon?"  
  
"Since I crashed last night for no real reason. I didn't even finish my pizza."  
  
"Are you sick?"  
  
"I hope not. It's almost Christmas."  
  
Duncan put his hand on Richie's forehead. "You seem fine to me. Want to join me on my run?"  
  
"How far do you go?"  
  
"As far as you can. When you're ready to come back, we'll come back."  
  
"Cool.uh, my sweats and stuff are in my room."  
  
"You know, you can probably fit into my stuff. I'll get you something."  
  
Five minutes later, Duncan was driving to the park with Richie in toe. "You know something, Rich? You are acting very odd."  
  
"I am?"  
  
"Since when do you like to run?"  
  
"We just haven't been able to do anything with just us in a while, that's all," Richie shrugged.  
  
"You like doing things with just the two of us?" Duncan said with a small sense of pride and accomplishment.  
  
"I dunno. I guess. You don't mind, do you?"  
  
"No. I like it, too."  
  
Richie smiled a bit and settled into his seat. "Cool."  
  
To Duncan's surprise, Richie lasted almost three miles until he was ready to go back home.  
  
"It's pretty much decided that we're going to go to the pageant tonight."  
  
"Okay." The rode in silence for a few blocks. "Hey, Mac?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What does Mon Breve mean?"  
  
"Mon brave," Duncan corrected. "It means."  
  
"Lemme guess. Green bean?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Broccoli?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Cauliflower?"  
  
"It's not a vegetable."  
  
"Banana?"  
  
Duncan laughed. "Roughly translated it means 'my brave one'."  
  
It was Richie's turn to laugh. "Where the hell did she get that one?"  
  
"Because Richard means brave."  
  
Richie laughed again. "My parents must not have known that."  
  
"You never know."  
  
"No. I guess not."  
  
"So what time do you want to leave tonight?" Duncan asked changing the subject.  
  
"It starts at six, but I want talk to some friends first. I want to get there early. I can just take my bike."  
  
"It's too cold for that, you'll get sick. Besides it's supposed to rain tonight. It wouldn't be safe. We'll go with you."  
  
"If you want."  
  
"Then we'll leave around five. And you can drive since you know where you're going."  
  
"You mean I'm not stuck in the middle?" Richie had been riding in the middle either between Duncan and Tessa in the front of the car or between Jean and Genevieve in the back all week. He was the youngest and thusly the most squishable.  
  
"We'll figure it out." Duncan pulled up to the building and stopped. "Okay, I'm just dropping you off; I have errands to run."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I'm not done shopping."  
  
"Oh, okay. See you at lunch?"  
  
"Why don't we make it a late lunch since we won't really have time for dinner? Tell Tessa okay?"  
  
"Sure." Richie opened his door and got out.  
  
"Behave yourself," Duncan reminded him.  
  
"You say that like I'm a trouble maker."  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"Richie, are you okay?" Tessa asked him quietly.  
  
He looked up from the salad he was tearing. "I'm fine, why?"  
  
"You seem a little off."  
  
"I guess I'm just excited. It's like I'm going home.if only for a visit."  
  
"You seem more nervous than excited."  
  
"I guess. It's just.it's not fancy or anything. It's like a really cheap boarding school."  
  
"Are you embarrassed for us to see?"  
  
"I don't think so. I mean, it happened; what are you gonna do. Besides, I really liked it there. I spent some of the best times of my life there. Just don't expect much."  
  
"Richie, all we expect is to see where you grew up. It can't be as bad as you think. You turned out nicely."  
  
"Is that why you're always telling me to behave?"  
  
"You're eighteen. Eighteen-year-olds need to be told to behave."  
  
"What are you two whispering about in there?" Genevieve asked from the table where she was snapping beans.  
  
"We just can't decide how to poison lunch."  
  
"Oh, okay."  
  
For lunch they had roast and fresh vegetables. Finally it was time to leave.  
  
"Why were you at the mall?" Tessa asked Duncan on the way to the car. "The shopping is done."  
  
"I found that tree from the orphanage. I bought presents for all the kids who were left."  
  
"I thought you wanted to rub off on Richie.not the other way around."  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
Next Chapter: The Pageant and Christmas. 


	4. ch 4

Richie pulled to car to a stop outside of a large, brick building. He took a deep breath and looked up at the five-story building through the windshield of the T-Bird. His eyes scanned the front then swept to the side yard where the playground was. There were no children on it, but all the dorm room lights were on. They would all be getting ready for their songs and plays. He scanned the grounds. Everything was just how he left it three months and three days ago when he walked out those doors to the T- Bird with nothing but a small suitcase of clothes and a backpack with a few personal belongings.  
  
"Are you okay?" Duncan asked quietly from the back seat.  
  
"Yeah. I- I'm fine." He wasn't sure why he was stuttering or why his palms were so sweaty. Somehow he had gotten very nervous.  
  
"Any time you're ready, Rich," Duncan prompted after a minute.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You have to unlock the doors and get out so we can too."  
  
"Oh, sorry." Richie got out and pushed the seat forward so Duncan, followed by Tessa could crawl out of the back seat. Genevieve got out on the other side to let Jean out. "Okay, let's go." Richie led the way.  
  
He opened the main doors and started off down the hall. It was all still the same, except some of the children's artwork had been changed. The floors were still the same ugly brown tiles. The walls were painted cream with bulletin boards down one end of the hall and pictures down the other. He stopped and looked at a familiar face smiling at him from its frame on the wall. There he was puffed up to his full three feet two and a half inches, in his red trap door footie pajamas, holding onto a stuffed bear dressed similarly, grinning without his four front teeth, blonde curls sticking out in every direction, and looking every bit the innocent angel he was well known not to be.  
  
"Is that you?" Tessa asked softly, but Richie jumped none the less; he had forgotten anyone was with him.  
  
"Yeah. I was six.my first Christmas here right after I sang in the pageant."  
  
"Duncan, look at this. Richie at six!"  
  
Duncan, Jean and Genevieve came over. "You have no teeth," Duncan commented.  
  
"You're adorable," Genevieve cooed.  
  
"Nice bear," Jean added.  
  
"I happened to love that bear," Richie defended.  
  
"That doesn't tell us what happened to your teeth," Duncan prompted.  
  
"I fell off the monkey bars. I didn't have those teeth for almost a whole year. I thought they would never grow in."  
  
"Richard Ryan!" a shrill voice interrupted their conversation. "What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be getting ready!" A very formidable looking nun stalked over to him and grabbed him by the ear.  
  
"OW!"  
  
"Richard, please," she snapped before turning to the others. "I'm sorry. He's really not supposed to be out here. The auditorium is just around that corner. And please stay for the refreshments after. The children spent all day decorating the cookies."  
  
"But."  
  
"Richard," she warned. "I hope he wasn't bothering you."  
  
"No, not at all. As a matter of fact." Duncan started.  
  
"I'm glad to hear that. I'm sorry to rush off like this but the children are quiet a handful this time of year and I really shouldn't be away any longer." She smiled politely and started off down the hall with Richie in toe, still holding firmly onto his ear."  
  
"But, Sister.. OW!" Richie complained as he was toted down the hall. "Mac!"  
  
"See you around, Rich!" Duncan called after him with a wave.  
  
"Duncan!" Tessa laughed. "We have to help him."  
  
"We have to save him a seat," Duncan corrected. "He wanted to see his friends. This way he can."  
  
The nun dragged Richie up two flights of stairs, down the hall and around the corner.  
  
"But, Sister Francis!"  
  
"I'll have none of your excuses, Richard. You know perfectly well that you are supposed to be getting ready for your little song. Father Henry is allowing you do perform it this year despite everyone's better judgment. So I suggest you stop causing trouble and for once behave."  
  
"But, Sister Francis, you don't understand!"  
  
"You're right I don't. I don't understand why you are so difficult all the time and what's worse is you have poor little Michael imitating your every move."  
  
"Sister Francis."  
  
"Richard, we will talk later. Now, I have other children to help right now. Please remember to get back stage and help Sister Katherine organize the children."  
  
Richie was at a loss of what to say, so he opted for the easy way out. "Yes, ma'am." He stood in the hall and watched the flustered nun walk away. Finally he turned and opened the door to the older boy's rec room. Since the older children were spread out among the younger dorms to help keep order, they had their own room to hang out in.  
  
Two other boys jerked around as soon as they heard the door to their sanctuary open.  
  
"Richie!" Jason greeted in surprise. "What are you doing here, man?"  
  
"Came to catch the show." They enthusiastically exchanged slugs in the shoulder.  
  
"Uh-oh, looks like Sister Francis got a hold of you," Matthew laughed turning Richie's face to get a better look at his still red ear.  
  
"Man, she's lost it," Richie laughed. "I was down stairs minding my own business and she just grabs me and starts yelling at me for not getting ready. Won't listen to me long enough to remind her I don't live here anymore. So I thought I'd drop in and say hi while I was here."  
  
"I got 'em!" a third teen announced barging into the room with an armload of clothes. "Richie!?"  
  
"Eric! Sup man?"  
  
"What are you doin. Sister Francis?"  
  
"Gotta ask?" Richie grinned. "What's with the clothes?"  
  
"They're for tonight," Jason grinned proudly.  
  
"Uh-oh. that's what she meant by Father Henry caved. I can't believe you guys!"  
  
"Come off it, Ryan. It was your idea," Eric reminded him.  
  
"I was joking. So you raid the dress up clothes?"  
  
The boys fell silent for a second. "Wish we had thought of that.we begged the girls," Matthew mumbled.  
  
"That's sad. Look, I'd love to hang, but I got people to see. Where's Michael?"  
  
"Infirmary."  
  
"What's wrong with him?"  
  
"Cold or something. Just wanted him to get some rest. He's not contagious."  
  
"Poor kid. I'm going to go rescue him. See you ladies later."  
  
Richie checked the hall before making his way to the fourth floor where the nuns slept and where the infirmary was. He cracked the door open and looked in. The room reminded Richie of a military hospital in old movies. In the middle bed on the left, a small blonde haired boy was propped up on some pillows listening to a story being read by novice named Meredith. He slipped in quietly and stood by the door listening to the story. He shifted his weight and bumped into a shelf of medicine bottles. Michael and Meredith looked up.  
  
"Richie!" Michael yelled excitedly.  
  
"Hey, squirt," Richie crossed the room in a few quick strides and sat on the edge of the bed. "What's with the private party?"  
  
"I'm sick."  
  
"Dude, that sucks. You can't perform tonight?"  
  
"No. I can't sing."  
  
"Maybe you can watch, what do you think Meredith? Can he sit with me?"  
  
Meredith sat back in her chair. "If you can get Father Henry's permission, he can."  
  
"Okay!" Richie jumped up. "I'll be back in a minute, you get ready."  
  
He dashed off down the hall and poked his head into all the rooms. "Richard!" Sister Francis snapped as he looked into a room of screaming children dressed as angels.  
  
"I'm looking for Father Henry."  
  
"In the nursery."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Richie made his way to the nursery. "Father Henry?" he whispered. The babies were asleep.  
  
The priest looked up. "Richard, what are you doing here?" he smiled.  
  
"Came to see the show. Can Michael sit with me?"  
  
"Let's go in the hall." He gestured to the novice in the room that he was leaving. "How are you doing, Richard?"  
  
"I'm good. I came to see the kids. Ca."  
  
"You aren't struggling are you?"  
  
"No. I got a job; nice place to live. you should actually meet the people that I moved in with. They're really nice."  
  
"I'd like that. Where are you working?"  
  
"An antique store. Look, I really wanna chat and all, but I'd also love to get Michael down to the show before it starts; everyone wants to meet him. So can he? I mean, it's just, like, a cold, right? He's not gonna get anyone else sick."  
  
"I think it'd be a great idea. He hasn't been the same since you left."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"He's a bit depressed. He doesn't understand why you left."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"I've tried to explain it to him. Do you think you can talk to him?"  
  
"Sure I will."  
  
"You'd better go get him. Just make sure he's dressed warmly."  
  
"Will do. Thanks, Father." Richie went back to the infirmary and relayed the news. Michael put on a robe over his pajamas and put on his slippers before climbing onto Richie's back. They made their way, rather noisily, down to the auditorium. It took Richie a minute to find the group. He went down the aisle with Michael on his back. There was only one seat saved so Michael sat on Richie's lap.  
  
"Hey, guys. This is Michael Beal. Michael this is Duncan MacLeod and Tessa Noel; I live with them. And this is Maman and Papa, Tessa's parents. They came all the way from France to be here for Christmas."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Michael. We've heard a lot about you," Duncan said kindly.  
  
"You are even more handsome than the picture I saw," Tessa told him.  
  
Richie whispered something in Michael's ear. "Hi," he said softly. He turned his big blue eyes on Jean and Genevieve. Richie whispered something else. "Bonjur."  
  
"Hello, chou chou," Genevieve smiled at him. Richie grinned over Michael's head.  
  
"I have heard a lot about you," Jean added.  
  
"Did they adopt you?" Michael asked Richie.  
  
Richie paused for a second. "Yeah," he answered. "Kinda."  
  
Michael was about to say something but just then a small procession of children started up the center aisle singing. Tessa, who was sitting to Richie's immediate left, was getting lost in the music when she noticed Richie and Michael singing along under their breath.  
  
"Light one candle in the night/ Light one candle of faith/ Faith that can heal a world in need/ Faith that can conquer hate and greed/ Faith in a child who will come to lead/ Light one candle of faith."  
  
After procession there was an introduction by Father Henry to the show. Then the acts started. A group of five-year-olds dressed in sheets and wings sang Angels We Have Heard On High. Then the six-year-olds sang Up On The House Top. Then a small group of seven and eight year olds preformed a skit they wrote themselves about the elves who work for Santa. The late elementary aged kids became a little more creative in their parts. Some formed small bands and played their own music. Some recited poems and bible versus. The junior high kids sang songs with choreography, told original stories, and put on little skits. The next one was the show stopper: Matthew, Jason, and Eric. All three dressed in some of the girl's Sunday dresses. If that wasn't enough, they brought down the house with an a cappella rendition of Santa Baby.  
  
"I'm happy I turned eighteen when I did," Richie whispered to Michael. "How'd you like to see me up there doing that?"  
  
"I think it'd be funny," Michael told him.  
  
"Traitor."  
  
Tessa leaned over to Duncan. "Look at them; they're adorable together." Richie and Michael were whispering and giggling with each other. "We can't separate them."  
  
"Tess, what are you thinking?"  
  
"Duncan, he's adorable."  
  
"We'll talk later. Just enjoy the show."  
  
Once all the acts were done, there were refreshments in the gym. Richie and Michael stuck together while Richie said hi to old friends. Pretty soon there was a small group of children that was following him around tugging on his jeans and firing questions at him. Finally, they all had him cornered and he was forced to tell them jokes and stories as some kids his age listened in as well.  
  
"He looks very popular," Genevieve commented to Tessa as they watched.  
  
"Excuse me," Father Henry interrupted. "Are you here with Richard Ryan?"  
  
"Yes," Tessa answered somewhat hesitantly.  
  
"He's not in trouble. I just wanted to introduce myself and thank you. I'm Father Henry; I run the orphanage. As much as I enjoy my work and being with the children, I know he can make it a little trying at times. But I do see a change in him. Some of it may be from growing up, but some must be from you."  
  
Tessa smiled. "I'm Tessa Noel, and he's not trying at all. He's a very sweet boy." Just then Duncan and Jean came over with cookies and punch.  
  
"You can't be talking about Richie," Duncan smiled.  
  
"As a matter of fact we are. This is Father Henry, he runs the orphanage."  
  
"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Father; I'm Duncan MacLeod"  
  
"MacLeod and Noel." Father Henry started to put it all together. "He broke into your store, didn't he?"  
  
"Yes, he did," Tessa answered. That was one question she was sick of hearing.  
  
"That's very kind of you to let him work off his debt to you."  
  
"He paid that off a long time ago; he's on payroll now. Our only employee as a matter of fact," Duncan answered. "We consider it a family business."  
  
"He is a very hard worker," Father Henry agreed, happy to see the couple jump to the boy's defense. "And he seems very happy were he is. I'm glad it all worked out. I supposed I should go mingle some more. It was nice meeting you all."  
  
The priest went and the four turned their attention to Richie and the small group in the corner. Some seemed to have lost interest in him and gone but he still had over a dozen kids around him.  
  
"Duncan, I want one," Tessa pouted as they approached to see what was going on.  
  
"We'll talk later."  
  
"Please, Richie?" a little girl was begging.  
  
"You always do it!" a boy added in.  
  
"Ebrwy yeawr!" a third piped up.  
  
"How can you remember?" an older girl scoffed at him.  
  
"Hey, be nice," Richie reminded her.  
  
"So you gonna do it or not?"  
  
"Fine, fine, but you guys have to help, deal?"  
  
"Deal," the kids answered as one.  
  
Richie took a deep breath and, luckily, didn't notice the adults not too far way. "Christmas toys all over the place/Little Richie wears a funny smile on his face/ Richie has a secret/ And the secret he must share/ He wants to tell somebody/ So he tells his teddy bear."  
  
"Ba dum bum bum!" the kids chimed in.  
  
"I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus/ Underneath the mistletoe last night/ She didn't see me creep down the stairs to have a peak/ She thought that I was tucked up in my bedroom fast asleep/ Then I saw mommy tickle Santa Claus/ Underneath his beard so snowy white/ What a laugh it would have been/ If daddy had only seem/ Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night."  
  
The kids started up a second verse but cut off by a simple cry of "Santa's here!" from across the room. The all got up and ran to the man in the red suit, Michael trailing behind because he waited to get Richie's approval first.  
  
"That was cute," Duncan commented softly as they watched the kids crowd around Santa.  
  
"That's my song," Richie explained. "I always do it for the show."  
  
"Ho ho ho!" Santa laughed. "Who's been good this year?"  
  
"Me! Me! Me!" the kids screamed bouncing up and down.  
  
"That's Father Jacob from St. Paul's down the street. He does this every year."  
  
"The kids get their presents now?" Jean asked.  
  
"They get a small one now, and. okay. see each dorm room has its own tree so Christmas morning the big gifts are there and then the stockings are at you chair when you come down for breakfast. Christmas is a lot of fun here. Especially when you get older and you're in charge of the kids when they open their presents."  
  
"Richie! Richie! Look at what I got!" Michael came running over clutching a pair of hot wheel cars.  
  
Richie scooped him up as he ran over and took a good look at the cars. "Very cool. You can put them with your others."  
  
"Can we have races again?" Michael asked. "We can see who can get down the hall the fastest. Maybe you'll get one in your stocking, but if you don't.you can borrow," he compared the two cars. "This one." He thrust the red one under Richie's nose.  
  
"Michael. I'm not going to be here. I have to go home tonight."  
  
"But.but you're here again."  
  
"Just for tonight, Squirt. I came to see everybody. I have to go home."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"Remember before the show? I told you they adopted me. That means I live with them now."  
  
"You said kinda. That's what you said when you moved the first time, but you came back."  
  
"That was different. I was younger then. I'm too old to live here."  
  
"I don't want you to go!" Michael threw his arms around Richie's neck. "You said you were my brother!"  
  
"Michael." Duncan, Tessa, Jean and Genevieve could see Richie's heart being torn to pieces at the comment. "I said you were like my brother. We have different parents. But. God, Michael. Look, Squirt, I wanna stay, really I do.but I can't. Do you understand?"  
  
"How come you have to go?"  
  
"I don't have a choice. But maybe we can work something out and I can come see you sometimes. Would you like that?"  
  
"It's not the same."  
  
"I know. But, hey, it's better than nothing, isn't it?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"You guess? That's it?" He started to tickle the boy until he was in hysterics and curled into a little ball.  
  
All was forgiven and Richie challenged Michael to a race, which he deliberately let Michael win. They had just set up for a rematch when Meredith came saying it was time for Michael to take his medicine and get back to bed. Before Michael was led away, Richie gave him a business card so he could call plus a hug and hair ruffle.  
  
"Richard?"  
  
Richie jumped. "Sister Francis! Man, what'd I do this time?"  
  
"I just want to apologize for earlier. I didn't realize, even when you tried to tell me." The stern women stumbled over the words.  
  
"No big," Richie shrugged it off. "You were busy and just assumed I was causing trouble."  
  
"And I feel I should tell you; there is a couple interested in Michael."  
  
"What? Michael.my Michael? Michael Beal, My Michael?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Richard, you know very well I can't tell you."  
  
"C'mon, Sister."  
  
"I'm sorry. I just felt you should know." With that she turned and walked away.  
  
"Richie." Tessa said softly from a few feet away. "Are you okay?" She had heard the whole thing.  
  
"I'm fine," he answered after a short pause. "I'm happy. This is really big. And he deserves it. I'm happy for him."  
  
"Do you want to go home?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The drive home was quiet. Richie was in no mood to talk and everyone respected that. Even Genevieve left him alone. When they got to the loft, Richie quietly excused himself to Duncan and Tessa's room. Tessa went after him.  
  
"Are you really okay?" she asked.  
  
"I will be in a minute."  
  
"You don't sound it."  
  
"That's just because I'm a little in shock right now."  
  
"Because of Michael?"  
  
"I don't get it, Tess. I know this is a big deal. but I can't make myself be happy."  
  
"You will be. Just give it time."  
  
"What really gets me is I don't think he knows."  
  
"He didn't seem to."  
  
"What if he doesn't like them?"  
  
"I'm sure he will."  
  
"What if they're mean?"  
  
"What if they live down the street?"  
  
"What if they live in El Paso?"  
  
Tessa smiled. "I bet they live here. And I bet they will need a babysitter eventually. And I bet you would love to do it."  
  
"I didn't think about that." Richie perked up a bit.  
  
"See? Everything will be fine.chou chou," she ruffled his hair and he pulled away with a smile.  
  
"That's mon brave, thank you very much."  
  
"Better?"  
  
"Yeah, but I can I just have a minute?"  
  
"Take all the time you need."  
  
An hour and forty-five minutes later, Richie came out dressed for bed.  
  
"What's all this?" he asked looking at the counter of fresh baked cookies.  
  
"These are for you, mon brave," Genevieve told him. "You are too sad for Christmas."  
  
"And what better way to cheer you up than pumping you full of sugar?" Duncan teased.  
  
"Maman made those just for you," Jean added. "But you will share with your Papa, non?"  
  
Richie looked at the cookies, practically oozing with chocolate, then back to Jean. "You can have one. a small one."  
  
"Tres bon."  
  
Richie slid onto a bar stool at the counter and helped himself to the biggest cookie he could find. Tessa gave him a tall glass of milk, which he usually protested. But with cookies it was a must. The five ate cookies until there was no more dough left and no flour to make more. Duncan was right, getting pumped full of sugar was just what he needed. He was loud and hyper for an hour then a second later was crashed on the couch completely unconscious.  
  
"Your mother put him in a sugar coma," Duncan teased Tessa as they settled into bed.  
  
"But it got his mind off things for a while."  
  
"True. Small and broody the two words that describe him the best."  
  
"Now who does that remind me of?"  
  
"You're not talking about me are you?" Duncan laughed, rolling on top of her. "I may be broody, but I am not small." He kissed the nape of her neck.  
  
She giggled. "Duncan, my parents!"  
  
"Richie never hears us."  
  
Needless to say Duncan and Tessa were the last to sleep that night. 


	5. ch 5

AN: Sorry this took so long! Here it is; the end! And please keep in mind that this is December 1992 while they are opening gifts. Top of the line then is nothing now. It is then, not now that the gifts are being received. That said. CHAPTER FIVE!  
  
Tessa woke up in Duncan's arms the next morning. It was a rare treat to see him asleep in the bed with her after six in the morning.  
  
"Good morning," she whispered when she noticed him open his eyes.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
She smiled at him and just looked into his eyes for a minute. "How are we going to tell him?"  
  
"I guess we'll have to.eventually."  
  
"Duncan, he's suffering! He's so worried about not seeing him again."  
  
"He's not going to die if we keep it from him for a few days. We don't even know if this will work."  
  
"But I hate seeing him like this."  
  
"Why get his hopes up?"  
  
"Because he'll at least know we tried."  
  
"I'll tell you what." Duncan rolled onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow. "I'll leave it up to you. As the woman, you're better with feelings and junk."  
  
"Feelings and junk?" she repeated indignantly. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It means women are more sensitive than men."  
  
"That wasn't the case last night."  
  
"That's different. That is the one topic men are very sensitive about."  
  
She smiled as he rolled toward her. "Oh really?"  
  
"Yes." He was just about to prove his point when there was a soft knock on the door. "This is what we're going to be up against," he sighed. "Yes?"  
  
"Um. Papa and I are going to breakfast, so I need to get dressed and take a car," Richie said through the door knowing the couple too well to open the door until he was given permission.  
  
"Come in," Tessa called.  
  
"You ARE going to breakfast and you're TAKING the car?" Duncan asked him as the teen made his way to his clothes.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Tessa smiled at Duncan as she reached around him to get his keys off his nightstand. "Have fun, Richie," she tossed him the keys as he slid on his shoes.  
  
"You're welcome," Duncan added as Richie left.  
  
"Uh, thanks," he shrugged, closing the door behind him.  
  
"He is a greedy, oblivious little kid," Duncan told Tessa. "Did you see the way he just walked in here 'I'm taking the car and going for breakfast'? Who does he think he is?"  
  
"A teenager," she amended. "And if things work out, we'll have another one soon."  
  
. . . . . .  
  
Richie and Jean got back a few hours later and Richie was quickly ushered out of Tessa's workshop to make sure he didn't catch a glimpse of the impromptu present she was making him. They all spent the afternoon lounging around being pretty much useless, except for Duncan who was spending a lot of time on the phone in the office.  
  
"Okay, we came up with a plan," Tessa announced late afternoon. She and Genevieve had been chatting for a bit while Richie and Jean were talking about computers again.  
  
"Plan? For what?" Richie asked.  
  
"Tonight."  
  
"Decided what kind of cookies you're going to leave for Santa?"  
  
"Be quiet." Tessa rolled her eyes at him at slapped lightly at his leg. "We will have a late dinner then go look at Christmas lights until mass starts at eleven thirty."  
  
"When?" Richie asked.  
  
"For midnight mass, mon brave" Genevieve explained. "The choir starts a program at eleven thirty then mass starts at midnight."  
  
"Oh, okay." Richie was not entirely pleased about going to church, much less church at twelve at night, but he wasn't going to make a fuss. He had a feeling Duncan was roped into this against his will as well.  
  
The plan was set so around seven thirty everyone began to get dressed. Richie, who had been very compliant about dressing up, did complain a bit about being stuck in a suit and tie.  
  
"I hate these things," he mumbled as he attempted to knot his tie.  
  
"Want to know a secret?" Duncan whispered reaching around to help him. "I do, too."  
  
"Then why don't we start a revolt and not bother?"  
  
"Because it's Christmas."  
  
"That's a stupid reason."  
  
"But it's the only one I have, so go with it."  
  
"Maybe I can start a revolution?"  
  
"You're not the revolutionary type, Rich."  
  
Richie stared at himself in the mirror. "Can't I just try?"  
  
"Here, we'll do this." He turned him around and loosened the knot and unbuttoned the first button. He swapped out Richie's jacket for one of his own, which fit but was a little big. Then he pulled on Richie's shirt so it was a little baggier around his waist. "There, now you have a whole different look." He turned him back around to the mirror.  
  
"I like it," Richie admitted. "But Tess will never go for it."  
  
To prove his point, Tessa came out of the bathroom still placing the back of an earring on. "Richie, stop goofing around and get ready. Our reservations are in twenty minutes. What are you doing in Duncan's jacket? It's not right for you. You're too.it's too big."  
  
"You were going to say I'm too small for it weren't you?"  
  
"No, I just misspoke."  
  
"It's bad enough your mom thinks I'm a pipsqueak."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"I heard her when I walked past that first night on my way to the couch." His voice got high as he imitated her accent. "Oh, Tessa, he's tiny! How does he keep those pants up?"  
  
Tessa smiled. "Richie, she just thinks that you're cute."  
  
"She said I was tiny."  
  
"Well, your ego certainly isn't," Duncan teased him taking his jacket back and handing Richie his own. "Tessa's brothers are all really big. She just not used to good old fashioned American kids."  
  
"Besides there is always someone bigger and always someone smaller."  
  
"Okay, can we change subjects?"  
  
"Fine, come in the bathroom so I can fix your hair." Richie thought about protesting that he could do it himself, but then he remembered she didn't like the way he did his hair.  
  
They made the reservation with just minutes to spare because Tessa wouldn't leave until Richie's appearance was up to her standards. They sat through a leisurely meal then drove around the residential streets looking at the lights. Church was a long, drawn out service that Richie could barely sit though. The pews were hard, the kneelers were worse, the building was crowded, it was too hot and Tessa wouldn't let him take off his jacket, he couldn't hear the priest, and the kid behind him kept screaming. It was the church service from hell, if there was such a thing.  
  
When they got home, Genevieve made everyone hot chocolate (with extra marshmallows for Richie) and they all sat in the living room talking with a fire going in the fireplace. After a while, Duncan sent Richie to get ready so everyone else could go to bed. By the time everyone was changed and Duncan came out to say good night, he found Jean on the couch and Richie lying on the floor watching an old movie on TV.  
  
"Good night," he said.  
  
"Wanna join us?" Richie asked. "We have no idea what movie this is, but it's not 'It's A Wonderful Life' and that's all that matters."  
  
"No thanks. See you in the morning."  
  
"It is morning," Richie reminded him.  
  
"Good night, Duncan," Jean interrupted seeing a sugar induced bit of feisty energy coming out of the teen that the man wasn't going to be able to get away from if he stayed too long.  
  
"Night, Mac." Richie's attention was back on the screen.  
  
Two hours later, answering to a biological need, Tessa peeked out to check on Richie and her father, both of whom were fast asleep. She tiptoed around, turned off the TV and pulled the afghan over her father. She took the bedding off the chest behind the couch and covered Richie with a blanket then carefully maneuvered a pillow under his head. She turned off the gas valve and the fire lowered then flickered out.  
  
"Good night, petit, Papa."  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"Oh, Duncan, look," Tessa whispered pointing to the lump on the floor. Jean was asleep on the couch and Richie was fast asleep on the floor where Tessa had left him. He was right between the fireplace and tree, a perfect place to get a good view of the screen, but with his hair mussed and huddled under the blanket he looked like a child waiting for Santa Claus. As Duncan came near, she ran for the camera.  
  
A faint smile played across Duncan's lips as he walked toward the boy. "Rich, wake up." Duncan gently nudged him with his toe. Richie didn't move. "Rich." He nudged a little harder.  
  
"Ugh!" he scooted away and slapped blindly at Duncan's leg. Tessa came up just as he moved and frowned at Duncan.  
  
"Duncan, move! I want to get a picture!" She quick took a couple, the flash never bothering the boy.  
  
"Leave him alone until breakfast is ready," Jean said as he folded the afghan and put it on the back of the couch. "He was up late."  
  
"How late?"  
  
"Last time I looked at the clock it was two in the morning and I was tired; he was still going strong. Let him rest."  
  
Duncan consented and the adults congregated in the kitchen. Genevieve banished the men to the table with their coffee while she and Tessa made a breakfast of eggs, sausages and toast for Richie and caviar and toast for the adults. Once they were done Duncan was sent to wake Richie.  
  
"Riiich-iiiiie." he sing songed, waving a sausage under his nose.  
  
After a few seconds, Richie's eyes fluttered open. "What are you doing?" he asked thickly, stretching.  
  
"Breakfast is ready." He popped the sausage into his mouth and gave Richie a hand up off the floor.  
  
"Joyeux Noël, mon brave," Genevieve gave him a quick kiss.  
  
Richie gave her a quirky grin. "Um. Merry Christmas, Maman," he ventured.  
  
"Tres bon." She kissed him again.  
  
Then it was Tessa's turn to give him a kiss. Jean gave him a hug and Duncan gave him a nuggie. Richie tried to get Duncan into a headlock and ended up pinned to the counter with Tessa closing in threatening to tickle him. He was shrieking and laughing before she got within a foot of him. Tessa's wiggling fingers finally made contact and Richie went into helpless hysterics. He writhed and pulled, but couldn't break Duncan's grip on him. Finally, he rasped out that he couldn't breathe and was released. Then they all sat down to eat.  
  
Once seated Richie noticed one very big difference in his plate compared to everyone else's. "What's that?" he asked Duncan.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That black stuff."  
  
"Caviar to put on the toast."  
  
Richie's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "What?"  
  
"Look at that face!" Genevieve giggled.  
  
"Richie, we had no intention of making you eat it," Tessa assured him. "That's why we made you eggs."  
  
"Thanks." Richie shifted his attention away from the fish eggs and back to his food.  
  
The closer they got to the end of the meal, the more curious Richie got about his presents. He had kept his word about not snooping in the closets and for the first time in a long time, didn't know what he was getting. By the end of the meal, he had a fixed stare on the boxes under the tree. They finished breakfast, did the dishes and sent Richie to Duncan and Tessa's bedroom while they brought out the last of the presents as to not reveal their hiding places (the hall closet was only one of them).  
  
At first, Richie sat on the bed to wait then he cleaned up the corner trunk where he was keeping his clothes, washed his face, brushed his teeth and sat back on the bed to wait, then got back up and paced the room. After what felt like an eternity, Duncan came.  
  
"Are you ready, oh caged tiger?" Duncan teased him.  
  
"This has to fall under cruel and unusual punishment," Richie grumbled.  
  
"We could have made you eat the caviar," he reminded him.  
  
Together they went out to the living room where Tessa, Jean, and Genevieve were sitting and talking as if everything was normal. As if they hadn't been torturing him for the past four maybe five minutes. Richie paused in the doorway just long enough for everyone to notice.  
  
"Are you ready?" Tessa asked him.  
  
Again, a just-noticeable pause. "Sure." They sat him in front of the tree so he could hand out presents. "Who wants to go first?" he asked.  
  
"Just grab one and see whose it is," Duncan told him.  
  
Richie closed his eyes and reached as far under the tree as he could, grabbed a box and pulled it out. "Mac." He passed it over.  
  
It was from Jean and Genevieve. "Oh, wow. Where did you find this?" It was a first edition, signed by the author, book of Scottish poems over a hundred years old.  
  
"I came across it while I was hunting for that book of French Fairytales for that buyer of yours," Jean explained.  
  
"Can I see it?" Richie asked and Duncan handed the book to him. He flipped though it and read a few lines. "Can I borrow this when you're done?" he asked handing it back.  
  
"Sure thing." Duncan and Tessa shared a look. "Who's next?"  
  
"Get one of yours, mon brave," Genevieve told him.  
  
"No argument here." Richie didn't have to look hard to find a gift with his name on it. It was five cds cleverly disguised in a box from Neiman Marcus. They were from Tessa. He thanked her absentmindedly as he read over the song lists and struggled with the cellophane wrap to look over the liner notes. Finally, Duncan interrupted him to retrieve a gift that went along with the cds. Richie opened the box and looked inside. He was shocked; he had only heard that they were thinking about making these!  
  
"It's a walkman for cds," Duncan explained, mistaking Richie's awe for confusion. "This way you can listen to your music without torturing the rest of us with it while you're in the store room."  
  
Richie grinned up at him. "So this is really for you?"  
  
Duncan shared his smile. "Tessa, too."  
  
Richie got a smug look on his face. "Maybe I should get one of these for you so I don't have to listen to that opera crap you keep playing."  
  
"No, you need some culture in your life."  
  
Richie rolled his eyes and mumbled something as he sifted through the packages to find something without his name on it. It was a book Jean had asked for. Richie hid a little smile. 'I hope it's not a guy thing. I really don't want a book for Christmas.' Then he fished around and found a gift for Tessa from Duncan. It was a gold locket on a long chain with something engraved in French on the inside that made Tessa giggle and blush. The pair refused to share their secret. Next, it was once again Richie's turn. He found a large rectangle box that had held his curiosity for over a week, now.  
  
"Holy."  
  
"Richie!" Tessa cut him off.  
  
"Oh, man!" he amended. "This is awesome!" A just on the market Super Nintendo was now his.  
  
"These too," Duncan handed him several small gifts. Richie hadn't even noticed him coming to sit next to him.  
  
Richie opened them. Four new games to go along with the game system. "Dude! This is sweet! Thanks, uh." Duncan gave a little wave. "Thanks, Mac!" And once again he was lost in reading the back of his gifts to get a full description.  
  
"Rich, we're not done yet," Duncan prompted.  
  
"Oh, right." He blushed a bit and began a search for a gift for Genevieve.  
  
"You open your gifts, mon brave," Genevieve interrupted. "That's why we're all here, anyway."  
  
"But you guys have stuff, too."  
  
"But Christmas is for children," Jean told him. "We can wait. You go."  
  
"You sure?" Richie scanned the room; everyone seemed intent on him going first. "Okay, but if you change your minds, just tell me." He then began ripping open package after package, leaving the biggest for last. He commented on each and every gift, genuinely gushing over the coolness of each one. He got the Star Wars and Indiana Jones video box sets, lots of clothes (which were met with the least, though still plenty of enthusiasm), some computer games and in the huge box he found.  
  
"A suitcase." Finally the excitement left the teen.  
  
Tessa started laughing. "Look at his face!"  
  
"Oh, he's trying to be excited," Genevieve added.  
  
Richie looked helplessly at Duncan. Maybe it was some strange joke gift that the French found extremely funny. Instead of addressing Richie Duncan turned to Jean. "Maybe you should explain it to him."  
  
"Richie, the gift is not the suitcase; it's what you use it for. This summer we thought you might like to spend a few weeks in Paris with us."  
  
"Paris?!"  
  
"Oui. If you would like."  
  
The excitement flooded back and Richie was at a loss for words.  
  
"There's more, you have to open it," Jean told him.  
  
"What's with you people and gifts that go together?" Richie mumbled fondly.  
  
"This is for before you come."  
  
"Uh-oh, Mac.can I use the computer?" Richie pulled out a French tutor computer program.  
  
"No," Tessa answered promptly. "You have too many games on that computer. It's supposed to be for the store."  
  
For the second time in five minutes, Richie was speechless.  
  
"We can fix that." Out of nowhere it seemed Jean produced a brand new laptop. "Now he's out of your hair and he has that much more memory to himself."  
  
"Papa." Richie breathed taking the computer.  
  
"Jean, that's very generous of you," Duncan hedged.  
  
"Mac." Richie whined softly turning to him.  
  
"Duncan," Tessa added saying something in French. "Okay, Richie, you're done for now. Is there anything else under the tree?"  
  
Richie perked up again. "Yeah." He grabbed some boxes and handed them out. "These are from me."  
  
For Genevieve, he bought a silver tea tray with the family crest engraved on it and for Jean a hand carved tobacco pipe.  
  
"Richie," Tessa sputtered. "Who gave you these ideas?"  
  
"You did. I'm sneaky," he grinned proudly.  
  
"Mon brave, come here," Genevieve held her arms out. Richie crawled over and let her have her hugs and kisses. Jean clapped him on the shoulder with a proud smile.  
  
"Now you two," Richie grinned sitting between Jean and Genevieve one the floor.  
  
Tessa went first. "It's beautiful," she breathed removing the crystal pendant from the box. "Oh, I love it!" She slid the necklace over her head and admired how it looked against her sweater. She leaned from her chair and kissed the top of his head. "C'est le cadeau le plus beau jamais," she whispered.  
  
"Now, Mac." Richie was especially proud of this present.  
  
Duncan unwrapped the box. Richie seemed to have gone all out on gifts and despite his usual self he was a bit excited to see what Richie had gotten him. He lifted the box. "A tie." He continued in his head, "A very ugly tie at that."  
  
Richie bit his bottom lip nervously. "You like it?"  
  
It was a really really REALLY UGLY tie! "It's just a shame I don't have anything to go with it," he said, picking the fashion monstrosity out of the box. It was purple and red and orange and green and blue with a yellow inkblot in the middle. "This really is an.unique looking tie."  
  
"It's very.colorful," Tessa added with a fake smile on her face.  
  
"You have some taste, mon brave."  
  
"It will take a very specific suit to go with it," Duncan tried to work up a more genuine smile.  
  
"Oh, yes, not just anything would work with it," Tessa agreed.  
  
Richie snickered and then burst out laughing. "Yeah, a really ugly one!" he chortled, clutching his sides. "Oh, man! I can't believe you guys! You actually thought that.that.that I would actually.oh man!"  
  
"It's a joke?" Duncan ventured.  
  
"Of course it is!" He straightened up. "Keep digging, the real one's in there." He grinned broadly.  
  
Duncan pushed away the tissue paper and uncovered a shiny dragon head dagger that looked like it was made to go with the katana. "Wow," he said in the same calculated voice that he had used when he saw the tie. "It's nice, Rich."  
  
Richie's face fell. "You don't like it."  
  
"Well, like isn't the word," Duncan started.  
  
"You hate it?"  
  
Duncan's calm, objective face melted into a smug grin. "It's beautiful; I love it."  
  
Slowly Richie grinned again. "Really?"  
  
"Now we're even." Richie's grin grew as he realized he had been a victim of his own joke. "Is that everything?"  
  
Richie peered under the tree. "That's it."  
  
"One more," Tessa told him handing over a small gift.  
  
With a curious look he tore off the paper. Inside was a simple metal picture frame with the picture of Richie and Michael displayed inside. The single word across the bottom of the frame 'Brothers' put a hopeful question to Richie's lips that he dared not ask.  
  
"Richie, how would you feel if we told you that you may have to share your room for a while?" Duncan asked.  
  
"You mean, you guys? You're the couple interested in Michael?"  
  
"What do you think?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Well, nothing is final," Duncan told him. "But we have expressed our interest and we're working on the paper work now. Then we have to turn it in and wait to be approved."  
  
"Oh, my..I can't believe it!"  
  
"Don't get your hopes up, but know that we're trying."  
  
"Thanks, guys!" He gave enthusiastic hugs to both Duncan and Tessa. "You're the best!"  
  
That night as Richie was playing with his new computer Duncan came out to talk to him.  
  
"Bonjour, M. MacLeod. Comment allish-bous ?"  
  
Duncan smiled. "Comment allez-vous," he corrected.  
  
"I was close. What's up?"  
  
"I just have something for you." He handed him an envelope.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Just a commission I forgot to give you. For that African mask."  
  
"Oh, cool." Richie opened the envelope. "Mac.the commission on that couldn't have been over a hundred bucks. This is three hundred and fifty."  
  
"Oh? My mistake. Don't worry about it; think of it as a holiday bonus."  
  
"You already gave me one, that's how I could afford Tessa's gift."  
  
"Well, I've been meaning to give you a raise. We'll call it back pay."  
  
"You didn't take out any taxes."  
  
"Are you always this observant?"  
  
"Only when I think someone is up to something."  
  
"What makes you think I'm up to something?"  
  
"I don't know, but you are."  
  
"Fine." Duncan sat on the couch next to him. "I just want you to know that I'm proud of you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"What you did for those kids. You spent money you have been saving for months on them without thinking twice."  
  
"I asked you for it first."  
  
"But were you going to ask for three hundred dollars? I don't think so. When given the option of keeping the money for yourself or spending it on kids who needed it more; you did the right thing. That's what I'm proud of. And to be quite honest I was a little worried about how you were going to react to all this attention. I even told Jean that he couldn't buy you that stereo or just give you money for it. I thought you'd be spoiled or get spoiled. And to be quite honest, again I was wrong. I've been telling people that deep down you were a good kid. There's no deep down about it; you're just a good kid. I don't know why I didn't see it before. But you deserve your money back because I was too blind to see that you are above being a statistic."  
  
"Statistic?"  
  
"I didn't see any other orphanage alumni at that pageant, spending three hundred dollars on those kids, spending time with them, singing to them. I bet they all walked away and never looked back. You looked back and you went back. That takes real character. The way you saw what Jean and Genevieve were willing to do and spend for you and didn't ask for anything special. You didn't ask them for your stereo, or a computer or anything expensive. You asked for some cds. You could have taken their generosity and used it to get everything you wanted. But you didn't. That takes character. And I'm proud of that. So I want you to take this money put it in the bank and next week we'll go get your stereo."  
  
Richie paused for a minute. "Thanks, Mac. That means a lot to me.well, not the stereo, all the stuff you said. Nobody's ever said anything like that about me before."  
  
"At least not that you've heard, I'm sure." He reached out and squeezed his shoulder.  
  
"Hey, Mac?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You guys aren't going after Michael just for me, are you?"  
  
"To be."  
  
"Perfectly honest, I know."  
  
"We had been thinking about it for a while. And seeing you with him made up our minds for us. You really care about him and you're not going to be separated if we can help it. As long as you're okay with it."  
  
"I'm really okay with it."  
  
Duncan smiled. "Good. We hoped you'd be. Don't stay up too late."  
  
"I won't."  
  
"Good night, Rich."  
  
"Night, Mac."  
  
The rest of the holiday went smoothly. Jean and Genevieve left three days later.  
  
"Call when you decide when you want to come," Jean told him as they hugged at the terminal.  
  
"We can't wait to see you this summer," Genevieve added.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Work on your French," Jean added.  
  
"And mind Duncan and Tessa."  
  
"And keep working hard."  
  
"And mind your language in public, mon brave."  
  
"I will, Maman."  
  
"And help out around the house, especially when your little brother moves in."  
  
"Oui, Maman."  
  
"And be nice to him. Help him with his homework. Don't pick on him too much."  
  
"Oui, Maman."  
  
"Oh, and."  
  
"Maman!" Tessa interrupted with a laugh. "I think you've covered everything. You're going to miss the plane."  
  
Jean said something in French that Richie didn't catch. Genevieve suddenly grabbed Richie and covered him in kisses like she had the first time they met, rambling in French as she came up for air. When she let go, Jean ruffled his hair and a quick hug, then led his wife through the gate.  
  
They drove back to the empty feeling loft. Richie moved his stuff back into his room while Duncan took his sheets down to the laundry room and Tessa brought in fresh ones. The next day, they focused all their energy on finishing the paperwork for the orphanage. While Duncan and Tessa did that, Richie was sent to make copies of important documents. All the papers were in the next day. All that was left to do was wait.  
  
AN: Can you spell sequel? Coming soon! 


End file.
